Sri Lankan food is so under-rated. I'm American and my fiancé is Sri Lankan and our dream is to open a Sri Lankan restaurant here because the closest ones are still hundreds of miles away
@@saewhawhile you are certainly correct in saying that there are some similarities between the two, the differences in the spices used, the level of spices and the method creates differences that are more than subtle.
@@saewha thanks so much for your response. I live in Sri Lanka and eat this food daily. I have also been to Kerala many times and had the preparations there many times. The difference is palpable.
My first date with my husband (30+ years ago!) was at a Sri Lankan restaurant (the *only* Sri Lankan restaurant in Minneapolis!). The food there definitely had a punch! It closed years ago, and we still miss it. The owner occasionally has a pop up restaurant, so we have had her food more recently, but I wish we could have it more frequently.
No offense, but 30 years ago too much black pepper was probably considered too spicy. Blandest Mexican food I ever ate was about 30 years ago near Minneapolis.
@@karenustach5655 There wasn't much in the way of Mexican food in the Twin Cities back then, that is true, but the Sri Lanka restaurant was a completely different kettle of fish. The Mexican restaurant you ate at was probably Pepito's, which I had been told was the best Mexican restaurant in town when I moved here. It wasn't owned or operated by a Mexican family, and the last time I went there, six or seven years ago, I was still underwhelmed. (Lots of other much better choices these days.) The Sri Lanka restaurant was owned by a Sri Lankan couple. You learn in Minnesota to inquire about the spice scale when you go to a new restaurant. "Is the medium spice level really medium spicy, or is it *Minnesota* medium?" The Caribbean restaurant that's been here for decades has an explicit warning in the menu not to compare their spice levels to other Minnesota restaurants. Scotch Bonnet peppers don't fool around!
I'm from Germany, there are no Sri Lankan restaurants around here, but my very adventures parents in the late 70th went to Sri Lanka for their vacation, not very common at that time. They made friends with a Sri Lankan born restaurant manager, who later worked in London( UK), Zürich( Switzerland), etc. and later immigrated to Canada. He visited quite a few times with his wife and later with his children. I remember him cooking Sri Lankan food, with US eating and sweating through our clothes, because of the spicyness, so much heat. We were always stoked up with the highest qualities of spices because of his presents from home. To this day there is still a standing invitation to Toronto for all of my family whenever we want. My parents are in their 80th now and Lalit turned 70 last year!
As a Sri Lankan, your comment explains the exact hospitality of us Sri Lankans. Lovely to read about your friend. ❤ In Berlin, now there is a few SL restaurants. I can't say that they carry the exact taste of our authentic cuisine as they have somewhat customized the spiciness of the food to fit in German taste buds. Still the best though. If we need, we can request for the authentic spiciness.
I'm a Sri Lankan living in Germany. In Berlin there is a restaurant called 'Sigiriya' which is not 100% authentic and just like voila mentioned above it is customized to fit in German taste buds. I have been there personally and I liked it. So just a suggestion. However, in Italy since there are more Sri Lankans there are more authentic restaurants I would say. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the names though, but I tried them in Rome and Florence.
There are many Sri Lankans in Germany and Sri Lankan resturants perhaps you aren't looking. Outside of Middle East and South East Asia the most Sri Lankans reside in Germany, there are many Sinhalese there.
Aussie born half Sri Lankan here I freaking *LOOOOOOVE* their food. I love it all. There aren’t any SL restaurants in my city anymore you have to go to Sydney or Melbourne for it. Hoppers, egg hoppers, lunu miris, brinjal, chicken curry, pumpkin curry with mustard seeds, pittu, wattalapan, kavum, fish patties, date and lime chutney, lamprais, love cake, halapa, wood apple, biriyani, seeni sambal, gimme gimme gimme all of it.
One of my favorite friends in elementary school was named Shelina. She was Sri Lankan and her and I used to trade lunches all the time cause I was sick of Guatemalan food and she was tired of her moms cooking. When I tell you that opened up a whole new passport to flavortown for me as a child 😭😭😭😭🫶🏻💕
If it’s the Sigiri in manhattan, I go there habitually every time I’m in new York. I’ve made some of my American friends addicted to the food there too. They go there even without me sometimes. The restaurant was closed for a while around the pandemic time…. Glad to hear that it’s open again!!
Taste of a Watalappam highly depends on the cook , it'll never be bad but the experience and Talent of the cook make it either just Tasty or heaven level
We Sri Lankans love other cuisines...be it Indian, Thai, Mexican, Italian, Chinese...but then we keep coming back to our home cooked rice and curry! Because nothing else can beat that punch of flavour! You're right, we don't do subtle 😂
I lost 2 kg during our 2,5 weeks in Sri Lanka, due to the spicey food! 😂 I love a lot of their food though, but with less spices, so I can eat it... 😁 Now we make pol roti and pani pol pancakes a lot at home! 😍
Pol roti is delicious. You can have it with a spicy fish, chicken or even vegetarian curry with lots of gravy...and pls add some "lunu miris" (super easy to make, you can control the spice level as you wish!) Or alternatively, with seeni sambol. Lunu miris is the raw onion version, seeni sambol is the caramelized onion version! Pol roti can also be eaten with sweet stuff like jam, treacle, jaggery or even just butter and sugar!
It’s interesting to me that you didn’t associate Sri Lankan food with spice! Back in the 80s there was a Sri Lankan restaurant in Minneapolis that made such spicy food, my husband and I both remember watching people bust out in sweating on their first bites. Super flavored and lovely food, but I definitely order the mild.
I was stationed in Sri Lanka for 9 months, and I agree. After coming back, I could not taste the Indian chillies my mom would put in dals and sabjis. And even the Darjeeling tea tasted bland against Ceylon tea. I was a while before I regained my regular tastes.
@@nalin8182 Ai? moko miris kawai kiyala marenne nane,mn mehe UK wala suddontath miris dala fish and chips denawa,matanam set na lunu,gammiris witharak thibbama..miris onamai!🤣🤣
Aaaaa my sri lankan heart is SO HAPPY! I've been waiting for this since you started this series :') recommendations are 10/10 big love to all love lankan folks for sharing them with you ❤
Milk rice is one of the traditional foods of Sri Lankans. We make them in most of all the time in new beginnings, like on birthdays, on new year day etc, as the breakfast... You should've tried milk rice, lunu miris with fish ambul thiyal.👌 My all-time comfort food ❤ And if you are having a hard time tolerating spiciness in SL food, you can adjust the amount of chilli and pepper(not the other spices)
Beryllll this is literally the tip of the icebergggg! Try our Kottu and Sri lankan Hot Butter Cuttlefish. I also thought id give you the commonly used names for a few of the dishes... just in case you visit Sri Lanka Karawala thel dala, parippu and pol sambole - Dry Fish, Dhal Curry Kalu Pol Uru Mas - Black Pork Curry Biththara Aappa - Egg Hopper ( The OG is so much more crispier than the one you had! ) Indi Aappa - String Hoppers Thanks for enjoying the food and embracing the spice! Love from 🇱🇰
Sri Lankan food is the best! So intense, so flavourful, and I love that you put the pol sambol on the black pork curry like a real Sri Lankan 😂 and a note on the spice- yes, it’s really hot. We Sri Lankans feel the burn too, we just choose to cry/ sweat through the pain lol Curd/yoghurt and coconut water are the best cures
beryl, i jus wanna say ur one of the last few unproblematic great youtubers, left on this platform. your content is such comfort, so thank you for being just authentically you ❤
I live in Denmark where most dishes are only spiced with salt and peber so most danes are not used to spicy food. At about age 17 or 18 I went to school with a girl whos family was from Sri Lanka. They came to Denmark when the mom was pregnant with her. We were 6 girls invited home for her birthday and her family was like - we made the food mild for you guys. It was still really sooo spicy but it tasted so good. Later we was invited for her wedding. This time they looked at us and said, only touch those 3 or 4 dishes or you proberly will die 😂😂😂 Still was amazing food and remember getting party favours that was soooo sweet
I used to work next to a Sri Lankan restaurant in Edison, New Jersey and it’s seriously with some of the best things I’ve ever smelled coming out of that place!!! It always smelled incredible and would waft into our windows.❤ and I will say this heat level is always very high, so it’s not just that restaurant Sri Lankan food is very spicy usually. I always have to tell them to make it as mild as possible because I can’t handle heat but the flavors are amazing.
Lamprais is a hold over from the days of the Dutch East india company. It was created by the dutch-burgher community in Sri Lanka. The original recipe includes mixed meat curry (usually beef and pork), ghee rice, fried ash plantain, frikkadel , sambal balachan, eggplant moju and carmelised onion wrapped in a plaintain leaf and baked. The word lamprais comes from "lomprijst" in Dutch, meaning packet. Newer versions include the fried egg. And sometimes frikkadel is replaced by a tunafish cutlet.
Yeah it's probably the most significant dish in Sri Lankan cuisine that represents the major ethnic groups in the country as it includes components commonly eaten by all of the different Sri Lankan ethnic groups (Sinhalese, Tamil, Malay, Burgher, Muslim).
Hey I am Dutch, and packet isn’t really the right translation for “lomprijst”. It would be a “lump of rice”, so in that sense kinda like a packet of rice. Packet would be pakket in Dutch for anyone that’s curious. :)
I love that you talk about the traditional vs newer versions and are positive about both. There are a lot of psychos who try to gatekeep lumprais, claiming that the ONLY true version is the traditional one. It really gets my goat. Especially considering is it an altered form of what was originally an Indonesian dish. It’s such an integral part pf Sri Lankan food history and culture.
Beryl, the next time you visit India, YOU ARE COMING TO SRI LANKA! Bring everyone! There’s so much more than dhal pol sambol to our curries. It’s essentially the centre of Asian cuisine. We have the best of South East Asia, south India, Arabia and East Asia all in one cuisine 🤩 Edit: the watalappam was not good 😅 my grandma will make you some when yall come down here
My mom used to make watlappan for me that were even fluffy and prettier than this, and once frozen, it turned out to be super cool and delicious and a refreshing dessert. You will never imagine that, bro Edit: you are right. More Sri Lankan foods than lentils, coconut sumbols and watlappan have survived here. If you are traveling around this island, you can experience culinary delights specific to the respective provinces.😉🫶
Absolutely! Our diverse ethnicity and cuisine create a beautiful blend, and it's the harmony that makes it wholesome. My Indonesian friend was genuinely surprised when I told her that Nasi Goreng is a staple in every street-side restaurant in Sri Lanka 😄
Indian food is mostly about tons of oil & same masala powder for veggies & meat. I've been living with Indians for 12 years so it's their cuisine. The amount of oil they use for 1 dish, we can cook for 2,3 days in sri lanka😂 super unhealthy & toilet friendly food in India😂
Very similar to Kerala/TN food in many ways but still very unique and different. For the same reason, I think South Indians will love Sri Lankan food more than North Indians would.
@@dileepa666 FYI, it's unfair to generalise Indian cuisine as oil or unhealthy because there are 28 Sri Lankas in one India. Each Indian state has its unique culture(s) and different cuisines. I don't know which Indians you've been living with but there are hundreds of different cuisines in India, a lot of which are super healthy and delicious. South Indians and North East Indians in particular use very little oil. Also, your entire cuisine is inspired by Indian food, so don't talk about our cuisine disparagingly.
How exciting! I know nothing at all about Sri Lankan food, so this is all new to me. And now I know that if I ever have the opportunity to try it, I will need to brace myself for the spice!
⭕Guys if you wanna try sri lankan food in USA these are the best places to go... 👉🏽In New york city 1)Lakruwana restaurant(in Wu-Tang clan) 2)Sagara restaurant (victory boulevard in staten island) 3)Bay restaurant 👉🏽In Los Angeles 1)Ape Kade (in Tarzana) 2)kurry pinch (in Van Nuys) 👉🏽In Texas 1)Spicy Zest (in Dallas) most famous one🔥
Make a video about Uzbek cuisine, YOU JUST HAVE TO LEARN AND TRY Uzbek cuisine and traditional dishes! Who agrees with this, LIKE IT as much as possible so that Beryl sees this request!!!
@@BerylShereshewsky Undoubtedly this is a very good idea! Because there are so many different dishes in Uzbek cuisine, it is not only useful to learn but also interesting!
@@BerylShereshewsky The most popular dishes and desserts in Uzbekistan are: Uzbek pilaf real name is Оsh, Salad Achiq chuchuk (eating with Osh), Somsa, Uzbek Kabob, (Lagman definitely try it!), Norin, Chuchvara soup, Manti, Uzbek Dimlama, Shurpa soup, Mastava, Hanum, Obi Non-traditional Uzbek bread, Kazan Kabob, Kucha oshi. desserts:(Kokand halva definitely try it!), Sumalak, Nisholda,......Ohhh and that's not all! Of course, it is best to eat dishes from a master of this nationality, but Each dish has its own rich, incomparable taste and you simply cannot miss such a rich variety dishes of Uzbek cuisine!
You made my day Beryl!!! Watching these food took me back to Sri Lanka. I am so sorry that our food was spicy. We cry through our meals too but we like the punch. You can try more dishes. You will get used to the punch. Love from Sydney! ❤
almost 20 years back, a couple of Srilankan college students visited my home in Pune where my Bengali (east) mom prepared some traditional fish and meat dishes for them. The girls raved about how the chana daal, dry fish and fish curry reminded them of home. My kid brain did not comprehend why Srilankan food would have anything in common with Bengali food. 20 years and a few history/geography lessons later, I know better. the dhal and dry fish definitely look like what would be served in my Indian Bengali household
Recently visited Sri Lanka and found the food to be a combination of South Indian food ( esp Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and Malaysian food . I was pleasantly surprised how spicy the food is but at the same time it is flavorful and unique. Definitely recommend trying out srilankan cuisine
A really great selection. Pol Sambal, the coconut condiment, is one of the geniuses of Sri Lankan food. It's very simple; typically coconut meat, dried red chilies, salt and lime juice. Sometimes finely chopped dried Maldive Fish is added. Texture is supremely important and it is stone ground to give it that specifically mealy texture. You can make it in a blender and the taste will be fine, but the mouth feel won't even come close; it becomes a paste. String hoppers are often eaten at breakfast or dinner, as the rice flour is considered lighter than rice and more easily digested. Most traditionally it's eaten with Hodi/Sothi (Sinhala/Tamil names, my spelling might be off) which is a light, water, not very hot yellow coconut milk curry cooked with tomato pieces, finely sliced green chili (not a lot) and wedges of either potato or manioc. String hoppers are kinda time consuming to make, so many people buy then from neighborhood vendors, who also sell the Hodi/Sothi is small plastic sandwich-sized bags. That and a bit of dhal make a great post-drinking-absorb-the-alcohol late night food that won't feel like a stone in your stomach when you lie down to sleep.
Rice and curries are meant to be mixed with your hand to combine the red spicy dishes with the lighter coconut milk based curries to balance the flavours. I hope you try srilankan food again. 😊
I am from coastal Karnataka, a southern Indian state and it is amazing to see that we have so many dishes and cooking techniques common with Sri Lanka! Wonder how that happened and what kind of exchange of culinary knowledge happened 100’s and 1000’s of years ago.
Sri Lankan food is very varied with lots of influences, Sinhalese/ Southern food is similar to Kerala cuisine, Tamil/ Northern food is very much like what you get in Tamil Nadu, Then you get Malay or Javanese influence in food like Nasi Goreng and Wattalappam, Moorish/ Muslim food like Biriyani and of cause Dutch Burgher influence in Lamprais, Love cake etc.. Its a melting pot of cultures
@@jayf4005 interesting. Coastal Karnataka and Kerala share similar cuisine. If Sinhalese food has some Kerala influence that could explain why I am seeing similarities with my cuisine such as meals wrapped and steamed in banana leaves, string hoppers etc
I am extremely grateful for the fact that you choose to show the very underrated yet delicious cousin of my home country Sri Lanka to the world. As a Sri Lankan living abroad this selection of food makes me miss home a lot. Everyone should definitely check these food out. 😊
Wow, Beryl, you really key me in to exotic foods I know I will like. Sri Lanka... on my menu, on my must-do list, already at the restaurant down around Seattle for my first experience.
Loved this episode and LOVE Srilankan food. This episode made me so hungry and longing for my travels in Srilanka. Beryl, its time for you to do a East India epsiode (West Bengal, Odisha, Assam). The food is so distinct and different from the kind of Indian cuisine you have featured on your channel thus far, and we deserve some representation!!! 😋
10:48 born to parents from Kerala and tamilnadu , we love appam in our house and mutta appam(egg appam) is our favourite. My mother would make a kerala chicken stew(portugese inspired) and we would also have coconut milk with some brown sugar.. it is definitely a match made in heaven..
Nope. Only from Chennai/South India is it an hour, 2 from Mumbai, 3.5 from New Delhi. Further afield, 4 from Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok, 7 from Perth, 9 from London or Melbourne.
You missed the best dish "Kottu" .people who represent us forgot this course. Cause all of them are from Colombo. If you go further countryside in Sri lanka ,"Kottu"is the heaven meal for everyone. Please please try in person Thank you😊
Could you an episode covering Burmese food? I grew up eating Burmese dishes all the time with my family and I’d love to see a video in this series talking about it. It’s very much not as well known in the West as say Thai or Indian, but is so delicious!
I had recently visited to srilanka, tried all these in the country itself. Loved almost all these dishes and srilanka Also tried banana fritters with icecream😋
"Watalappam" is a unique dessert introduced to Ceylon during Dutch period by Ceylon Malays and originated from Indonesia. We Malays called this as "Sirkaya"
When you mix it from fingers and eat like a local only you can experience the real flavor. Red rice, Dahl and dry fish with coconut sambol is my favorite too, white rice with mallum polos and fried sprats is also very tasty.
I m hundred percent sure that the spice added there is way more less than here, we even add green chillie to make it way more spicyto eat our rice, which is the main dish.
I always look into your videos in the hope of having a review on our country's food. And you never disappoint with the reaction ❤. I am so happy that you share the taste we are having in our ordinary life, worldwide 🥹❤️ Keep it up Beryl❤❤❤ Love from Sri Lanka ❤🇱🇰
I had the egg hopper nearly every morning when i was in Sri Lanka at the historic Galle Face hotel in Columbo. It was an amazing two weeks. Just down the street from the hotel was a restaurant that had a massive all-you-can-eat buffet with dishes from all over the island representing the cultural diversity of the country.
As a sri lankan I am really honoured that the way you review the food. Its always great to see someone appreciating our country cuisine, cause its really underrated. Anyway thanks and may you receive blessings from our ancestors. Love from sri lanka! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
You know, you can get pol sambol in jars. Find your local Sri Lankan grocer and they should sell many varieties of it. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions. Because pol sambol has dried fish flakes in it traditionally.
i really love the link to the website that summarised the recommended dishes to order. i can reference it easily next time i go to sri lankan restaurant! awesome series idea!
May be they forgot to mention Kottu! Originated in Sri Lanka and very popular among almost all the people in here. According to my knowledge, there are several Sri Lankan kottu places around the world so try it. You will love that!
Yeah due to the proximity of India and Sri Lanka there are several indian influences in Sri Lankan culture even though they are separate countries. It's a phenomenon witnessed in so many other areas of the world and is quite lovely to see.
Somehow if you taste kerala food or any indian food nothing tastes like ours. They use lot of oil and ghee. Also corriendar leaves etc. We rarely use them. Our flavors are different. But I would say our food got a similarity with Bengali food.
sri Lankan food is amazing! I wish there were more restaurants around my area. I remember being 12 and trying it for the first time in a little family restaurant my dad loved. I remember that the chicken curry was the spiciest thing I'd ever eaten at the time but it was so good. Me and my little sister just sat there almost using it as a dipping sauce for the huge amount of hoppers we devoured.
YAYYYYY you tried Sri Lankan food!!! Sometimes the things you won't find in restaurants are our favourites tbh. For example, nice fresh bakery bread with tempered dhal! Roast bread with dhal or even coconut sambol is a national favourite! In my family, we also mix butter with kithul treacle to make a dipping sauce of sorts and eat bread with that. SOOO good!
My Husband has a coconut allergy too. It’s really annoying it’s never legally required on the allergy listings in UK restaurants. We’d both love to travel further east (he’s been to Japan already, but I haven’t), but as many of those countries use a lot of coconut (same with the Caribbean) I’m having to do extensive research to see if we could risk going.
I heavily relate to this. I want to eat sambol and pittu so bad. I would love to go to Thailand but I think I would die especially since I have an allergy to not only coconut but shellfish as well.
It not any better in the US. I am lactose intolerant and coconut milk is usually a milk substitute so I always have to ask if I am getting something non dairy@@tinsley7850
I also thought Sri Lankan food is mild comparing to Indian cuisine until recently. Guess it's because we add black pepper along with red chillies so the spicy level increases.
We Sri Lankans give a huge importance to our food, we are kind of devoted to it. We freshly prepare three meals a day from scratch, which are usually different to one another. Food is a central part of our culture. We cook with love and our food binds people together.
Oh my God, Sri Lankan foods! I miss them a lot. I had a one month vacation in Sri Lanka, and the food was heavenly. I will visit Sri Lanka again, especially for the seafood. It's such an underrated country.
We use coconut milk so Sri Lankan vegi dishes are vegan. If you're a vegan you’ll be in food heaven with SL food! Yes they can be 🔥 especially takeaway food. I cook mild curry because my family can’t handle heat either. In SL curry with that deep brown/red colour is very much sought after so they use quite a bit of red chilli powder to achieve that colour. The trick is to use a milder chilli powder like sweet paprika. That way you get the colour without the heat! Kudos to you for trying them all despite the heat! Also two of the dishes that you must try are Kiri bath (milk rice) and Kottu (roti based dish) which are hands down classic SL favourites 😊
Here are some fun facts about the food you just had... Lumprais : This dish was originally introduced to us by the Portuguese when Sri Lanka was colonized by them. The rice is cooked in bone broth and everything is deep fried and dry and wrapped in banana leaves because this was originally a sailor's meal. Today we have the modern version but is still amazing. Red rice and dry fish fry : Fish is preserved in a salt rub in the sun for weeks until completely dehydrated. When cooking this, you need to be very careful with the amount of salt you put in other curries. Hoppers: Introduced to Sri Lanka from South India, we made it our own by fermenting uncooked rice overnight and blending it instead of using wheat flour. Ideal hangover food for breakfast with katta sambol ( ground red chili, onion with preserved fish and a dash of lime and salt). Black Pork curry is just magical, the reason the meat is so tender is because of the use of Tamarind in the cooking process,the best curry combo for that is Dhal and Coconut sambol String Hoppers are infact South Indian too, Sri Lankan version has thinner strings and is the dough is made with rice flour, the best combo for string hoppers are dhal, pol sambol and red chicken curry. Wattatlappan is a Muslim dessert the best to eat before watalappan is Sri Lankan version of Biriyani and is a pudding made with eggs, crushed cardamom pods and juggery. Curd and treacle is ofcourse the most popular and common desserts. The best part about Sri Lankan food is the variety and combination of flavours from different countries plus Vegetarian Sinhalese food is pure vegan. The best part is the curries not only fill your soul and tummy but the correct combination of Sinhalese rice and curry heals you from within as the curries are cooked not only to complement each other but also in a way balance heat and cooling properties so our bodies get balanced nutrients.
@Beryl- the string hoppers ( in English) are known as idhiyappam and in Kerala, India we eat it with black gram curry with spice and grated coconut. It is made of riceflour and with the help of that special noodle maker.
Thank you for taking Sri Lankan stuff to the world! As a Sri Lankan i think this country still has a lot more things to reveal to the world! The main barrier to that is these people always underestimate themselves and always make self conclusions after imaginary comparisons with other countries😅 But still Sri Lankan stuff are amazing!
I love your videos!! You take us on a great food journey every time, and you are so personable! I'm so jealous of your access to so many great cuisines in NYC. You're a lucky girl!
I am a sri lankan. we usually don't eat hoppers with dhal curry... I mean I usually don't.... I have to try that too😁😁😁 You should definitely try pol roti with chicken curry, little butter on the side and dhal curry.. phenomenal!!!!!!
Agreed there's a few differences in aappam, because the Sri Lankan one is thinner and crispier I feel and the the idiappam the ones from Kerala is bigger.
@@gayathra8458 same goes to kerla people as the ezhavas comunity from kerala got sinhala origins.. but this kind of foods are from lankan tamils not kerala..
@@walkthewalk972 they speak malayalam, which different to Tamil but somewhat similar I think. I only speak Sinhalese but I have a few colleagues from Kerala.
As a Sri Lankan I can confirm that what she was eating was a Western, less spicy version of Sri Lankan food.Ngl,That hoppers in particular looks so sad! But I'm glad that you appreciate our culture!! Love your videos! ❤
I would LOVE it if you explored Basque cuisine. The best cheese I've ever had was this Franco-Basque sheep's milk cheese called _ossau iraty_ - smelled like a well-used gym locker, but the flavor was like the finest Parmesan had a menage a troi with brie and feta. It just blew me away. And if this people between 2 countries can do this with cheese, I'd be intensely interested to see what else their food has to offer.
I ordered roast duck curry spicy and normally it's fine for me. But one chef at the restaurant does it extra spicy and I feel you for the yogust. Had frozen cheescake [cherry] to cool down!
Thank you! I have learned so much about different countries and different foods from your channel and its in a way that makes me wanna try it immediately. Especially the recipes. We don't really have the variety where i live that you have lol but it's super fun to see!
This is missing some very common favourites. Kothu roti Coconut + palm sugar hoppers Kiribath or coconut rice Pittu Dhosai Short eats Sri Lankan briyani ( buriyani) Rotis. Just to name a few that are commonly seen on restaurant menus.
A friendly advice to all foreigners trying SL food, mixing doesnot mean some rice, some dhal, some fish and some coconut sambal, what it means is to use your fingers and mix it mix it, mix it mix it , mix everything together, if you had done that that red rice with cocunut sambal will be heavenly, best advice if you donot like dirtying your hands, ask a SL granny to feed you 😋😋😋😋😋😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉
The string hoppers and egg hoppers/plain hoppers are called 'idiyappam/ noolputtu' and 'vellappam'. Interestingly, instead of breaking an egg and baking it along with the hopper, we have it with egg or chicken curry. Potato stew or peas curry would be the veggie alternative. The string hoppers are smothered with lots of dessicated coconut to enhance your palate. Both the dishes are found in Kerala (as named here) and Tamil Nadu (I am guessing they are named differently, not sure). I liked the watallappam, looks like a wholesome treat of sweetness. Thank you Beryl for introducing some awesome dishes from our neighbours down south. :)
Spice is Life. When you live in a hot country, eating spicy food helps your body to sweat thus keeping your body cool. No one mentioned to try the Hot Buttered Cuttlefish and the famous Janna Crab curry. Remember to mixed your food and not eat each one separately for full flavour
I was waiting for beryl to do an entire sri lankan food episode😊. As always it is so fun to watch your videos🤩 Thank you beryl for this amazing episode! Lots of love from sri lanka 😊❤
Hi Beryl! I'm Sri Lankan and i wanted to give advice for if you order again (also for anyone else who wants to too) Usually we mix the curry and rice fully together, kind of like how the first dish is mixed, as i am someone with not as good a spice tolerance (because Sri Lankan food is always spice x.x) it helps to enjoy the flavors. My favorite to mix with spicy curry is the dhal curry because it makes the curry creamy and less spicey and i usually mix a lot of dhal curry in. Thats it for now!! Thank you for this amazing video!
Sri Lankan food is so under-rated. I'm American and my fiancé is Sri Lankan and our dream is to open a Sri Lankan restaurant here because the closest ones are still hundreds of miles away
Start slow and a home cook/caterer!
Where you live in? Texas? Washington? Pennsylvania?
@@gamithawanasinghe4096 Virginia
@@saewhawhile you are certainly correct in saying that there are some similarities between the two, the differences in the spices used, the level of spices and the method creates differences that are more than subtle.
@@saewha thanks so much for your response. I live in Sri Lanka and eat this food daily. I have also been to Kerala many times and had the preparations there many times. The difference is palpable.
My first date with my husband (30+ years ago!) was at a Sri Lankan restaurant (the *only* Sri Lankan restaurant in Minneapolis!). The food there definitely had a punch! It closed years ago, and we still miss it. The owner occasionally has a pop up restaurant, so we have had her food more recently, but I wish we could have it more frequently.
There's another one! Go to House of Curry in Rosemount! It's my favorite restaurant in town!
@@zugabdu1 I searched on Sri Lankan restaurants right after I watched the video this morning, and we just got back from eating dinner there! :-)
No offense, but 30 years ago too much black pepper was probably considered too spicy. Blandest Mexican food I ever ate was about 30 years ago near Minneapolis.
@@karenustach5655 There wasn't much in the way of Mexican food in the Twin Cities back then, that is true, but the Sri Lanka restaurant was a completely different kettle of fish. The Mexican restaurant you ate at was probably Pepito's, which I had been told was the best Mexican restaurant in town when I moved here. It wasn't owned or operated by a Mexican family, and the last time I went there, six or seven years ago, I was still underwhelmed. (Lots of other much better choices these days.) The Sri Lanka restaurant was owned by a Sri Lankan couple. You learn in Minnesota to inquire about the spice scale when you go to a new restaurant. "Is the medium spice level really medium spicy, or is it *Minnesota* medium?" The Caribbean restaurant that's been here for decades has an explicit warning in the menu not to compare their spice levels to other Minnesota restaurants. Scotch Bonnet peppers don't fool around!
Agreed. Sri Lanka restaurant in MPLS was serious heat.
I'm from Germany, there are no Sri Lankan restaurants around here, but my very adventures parents in the late 70th went to Sri Lanka for their vacation, not very common at that time. They made friends with a Sri Lankan born restaurant manager, who later worked in London( UK), Zürich( Switzerland), etc. and later immigrated to Canada. He visited quite a few times with his wife and later with his children. I remember him cooking Sri Lankan food, with US eating and sweating through our clothes, because of the spicyness, so much heat. We were always stoked up with the highest qualities of spices because of his presents from home. To this day there is still a standing invitation to Toronto for all of my family whenever we want. My parents are in their 80th now and Lalit turned 70 last year!
As a Sri Lankan, your comment explains the exact hospitality of us Sri Lankans. Lovely to read about your friend. ❤
In Berlin, now there is a few SL restaurants. I can't say that they carry the exact taste of our authentic cuisine as they have somewhat customized the spiciness of the food to fit in German taste buds. Still the best though. If we need, we can request for the authentic spiciness.
Thats beautiful ❤❤❤❤
I'm a Sri Lankan living in Germany. In Berlin there is a restaurant called 'Sigiriya' which is not 100% authentic and just like voila mentioned above it is customized to fit in German taste buds. I have been there personally and I liked it. So just a suggestion. However, in Italy since there are more Sri Lankans there are more authentic restaurants I would say. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the names though, but I tried them in Rome and Florence.
Visit!!🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰
There are many Sri Lankans in Germany and Sri Lankan resturants perhaps you aren't looking. Outside of Middle East and South East Asia the most Sri Lankans reside in Germany, there are many Sinhalese there.
Finally our cuisine was represented by one of my favourite food content creators.
And so respectfully and honestly too. Thank you Beryl!
@@anushkawikramanayake5346 Meya godak videos karala thiyenawa neda,ape food varities thiyena...karawila,pancake wage thawa godak videos mn dakka..American ayath lankawe food try karanawai kiyanne eka marai...☺☺☺😘
Aussie born half Sri Lankan here I freaking *LOOOOOOVE* their food.
I love it all.
There aren’t any SL restaurants in my city anymore you have to go to Sydney or Melbourne for it.
Hoppers, egg hoppers, lunu miris, brinjal, chicken curry, pumpkin curry with mustard seeds, pittu, wattalapan, kavum, fish patties, date and lime chutney, lamprais, love cake, halapa, wood apple, biriyani, seeni sambal, gimme gimme gimme all of it.
Hi
Thank you for complimenting our foods❤
🇱🇰❤
One of my favorite friends in elementary school was named Shelina. She was Sri Lankan and her and I used to trade lunches all the time cause I was sick of Guatemalan food and she was tired of her moms cooking. When I tell you that opened up a whole new passport to flavortown for me as a child 😭😭😭😭🫶🏻💕
So wholesome hahaha i love this! You two need to have a reunion fr
Thank you for ordering from our restaurant, SIGIRI ❤
Your food looks amazing!
String hoppers look too thick.
Everything looks so good…! The strings look perfect…!
Oyalage kadenda order kare? Oyalath inne me lady inna paththeda? Texas walada meya inne? Oyala US koheda inne??
If it’s the Sigiri in manhattan, I go there habitually every time I’m in new York. I’ve made some of my American friends addicted to the food there too. They go there even without me sometimes. The restaurant was closed for a while around the pandemic time…. Glad to hear that it’s open again!!
Taste of a Watalappam highly depends on the cook , it'll never be bad but the experience and Talent of the cook make it either just Tasty or heaven level
Exactly right. I'm used to a more Panna cotta like texture with palm sugar caramel rather than Fluffy omelette texture.
It can actually taste bad, which is when there is an overwhelming "eggy" smell and taste 😬 imo my Muslim friends make it best ❤❤
Exactly ❤❤❤... If you try a perfect wattalappam then you'll get addicted to it.
@@muazunais2378 agreed!
The worst watalappan are those with seeds
We Sri Lankans love other cuisines...be it Indian, Thai, Mexican, Italian, Chinese...but then we keep coming back to our home cooked rice and curry! Because nothing else can beat that punch of flavour!
You're right, we don't do subtle 😂
True
Yeah.. Always wanna return to pol sambol, dhal & rice sri lankan flavour ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Agree 👍
Yes
My Sri Lankan friend is crying seeing this video. Most of the foods are his favorites.
As a Sri Lankan I can agree there’s a lot of my favorite foods there too
I lost 2 kg during our 2,5 weeks in Sri Lanka, due to the spicey food! 😂 I love a lot of their food though, but with less spices, so I can eat it... 😁 Now we make pol roti and pani pol pancakes a lot at home! 😍
Pol roti is delicious. You can have it with a spicy fish, chicken or even vegetarian curry with lots of gravy...and pls add some "lunu miris" (super easy to make, you can control the spice level as you wish!) Or alternatively, with seeni sambol. Lunu miris is the raw onion version, seeni sambol is the caramelized onion version!
Pol roti can also be eaten with sweet stuff like jam, treacle, jaggery or even just butter and sugar!
@@minervarose7664 Thanks, I will look lunu miris up! At home, I usually eat it with greek yoghurt (need my protein! 😁) and jam.
@@TessTheSwedeyou can add maldivian fish to the Lunu miris,which will fulfill the protein requirement 😊
@@omaliwijesuriya5193 I live in Sweden, and maldive fish (or dried fish) is rarely found here. 😕
@@TessTheSwede You can order it through various Sri Lankan restaurants. They will vacuum pack and ship it so freshness wont be lost.
It’s interesting to me that you didn’t associate Sri Lankan food with spice! Back in the 80s there was a Sri Lankan restaurant in Minneapolis that made such spicy food, my husband and I both remember watching people bust out in sweating on their first bites. Super flavored and lovely food, but I definitely order the mild.
Dang as an Indian that grew up in Minneapolis in the 90s-present, we never heard about this restaurant!
I'm Indian in heritage, and after visiting Sri Lanka, i agree, the food is really spicy 🔥but delicious 😋
I was stationed in Sri Lanka for 9 months, and I agree. After coming back, I could not taste the Indian chillies my mom would put in dals and sabjis. And even the Darjeeling tea tasted bland against Ceylon tea. I was a while before I regained my regular tastes.
wait really? I thought Indian curries were a bit more spicier than ours.
@@sppart1185 na na ape ewun thamai miris wadiyenma kanne!😅😅 mehe miris sara wadei! meki yoghurtuth kanawa.ammo!
@@gamithawanasinghe4096😂😂😂 OMG you are crazy 😂😂😂
@@nalin8182 Ai? moko miris kawai kiyala marenne nane,mn mehe UK wala suddontath miris dala fish and chips denawa,matanam set na lunu,gammiris witharak thibbama..miris onamai!🤣🤣
Aaaaa my sri lankan heart is SO HAPPY!
I've been waiting for this since you started this series :')
recommendations are 10/10
big love to all love lankan folks for sharing them with you ❤
Shoutouts to Sigri the only Sri Lankan spot in Manhattan. The rest of them are mostly in Staten Island with Lakruwana being the popular one.
Are their any restaurants in upstate ny and los angalese
Milk rice is one of the traditional foods of Sri Lankans. We make them in most of all the time in new beginnings, like on birthdays, on new year day etc, as the breakfast... You should've tried milk rice, lunu miris with fish ambul thiyal.👌 My all-time comfort food ❤ And if you are having a hard time tolerating spiciness in SL food, you can adjust the amount of chilli and pepper(not the other spices)
Beryllll this is literally the tip of the icebergggg!
Try our Kottu and Sri lankan Hot Butter Cuttlefish.
I also thought id give you the commonly used names for a few of the dishes... just in case you visit Sri Lanka
Karawala thel dala, parippu and pol sambole - Dry Fish, Dhal Curry
Kalu Pol Uru Mas - Black Pork Curry
Biththara Aappa - Egg Hopper ( The OG is so much more crispier than the one you had! )
Indi Aappa - String Hoppers
Thanks for enjoying the food and embracing the spice! Love from 🇱🇰
Omg, Kottu! I've had it a couple of times and it's so incredibly good! I just want to keep shoveling it into my mouth 🤤
HBC is a must, I agree!
Sri Lankan drinking culture is carried by Hot butter cuttlefish.
@@Dazumu and that shitty bony devilled chicken also😂 I don’t drink so whenever I’m at a beba party all I get is the bony ass rip off devilled chicken
Sri Lankan food is the best! So intense, so flavourful, and I love that you put the pol sambol on the black pork curry like a real Sri Lankan 😂 and a note on the spice- yes, it’s really hot. We Sri Lankans feel the burn too, we just choose to cry/ sweat through the pain lol
Curd/yoghurt and coconut water are the best cures
beryl, i jus wanna say ur one of the last few unproblematic great youtubers, left on this platform. your content is such comfort, so thank you for being just authentically you ❤
I live in Denmark where most dishes are only spiced with salt and peber so most danes are not used to spicy food.
At about age 17 or 18 I went to school with a girl whos family was from Sri Lanka. They came to Denmark when the mom was pregnant with her.
We were 6 girls invited home for her birthday and her family was like - we made the food mild for you guys. It was still really sooo spicy but it tasted so good.
Later we was invited for her wedding. This time they looked at us and said, only touch those 3 or 4 dishes or you proberly will die 😂😂😂
Still was amazing food and remember getting party favours that was soooo sweet
Denmark has many Sri Lankan Tamils, there food isn't the same as us Sinhala you should try both.
Hahaaaa😂😂😂 I get what you’re saying man. Even for my cousins wedding I remember telling our foreign friends not to touch certain dishes ! Haha
As a Sri Lankan I am pleased✨
I agree, LOVE that she is doing this and bringing the recognition Sri Lankan food deserves.
Fr.me too
LOVE that you're doing this and bringing the recognition Sri Lankan food deserves. YOU GO GIRL!
I used to work next to a Sri Lankan restaurant in Edison, New Jersey and it’s seriously with some of the best things I’ve ever smelled coming out of that place!!! It always smelled incredible and would waft into our windows.❤ and I will say this heat level is always very high, so it’s not just that restaurant Sri Lankan food is very spicy usually. I always have to tell them to make it as mild as possible because I can’t handle heat but the flavors are amazing.
So you Beryl both ordered from Sigiri restaurants in different locations. She ordered from the one in NYC, and you ordered from the one in Edison. ❤
I’m so so happy!!! As a Srilankan I think our cuisine is always underrated! Good to see some recognition! Thank you Beryl ❤
sri lankan food is wayy too underrated. It needs its moment bc it really is one of the best cuisines out there
Lamprais is a hold over from the days of the Dutch East india company. It was created by the dutch-burgher community in Sri Lanka. The original recipe includes mixed meat curry (usually beef and pork), ghee rice, fried ash plantain, frikkadel , sambal balachan, eggplant moju and carmelised onion wrapped in a plaintain leaf and baked. The word lamprais comes from "lomprijst" in Dutch, meaning packet. Newer versions include the fried egg. And sometimes frikkadel is replaced by a tunafish cutlet.
Yeah it's probably the most significant dish in Sri Lankan cuisine that represents the major ethnic groups in the country as it includes components commonly eaten by all of the different Sri Lankan ethnic groups (Sinhalese, Tamil, Malay, Burgher, Muslim).
Hey I am Dutch, and packet isn’t really the right translation for “lomprijst”. It would be a “lump of rice”, so in that sense kinda like a packet of rice. Packet would be pakket in Dutch for anyone that’s curious. :)
I frickin love frikadell. It's literally one of my wife's and my favorite comfort food dishes.
Actually its not ghee rice but small grained rice cooked in beef or chicken broth
I love that you talk about the traditional vs newer versions and are positive about both. There are a lot of psychos who try to gatekeep lumprais, claiming that the ONLY true version is the traditional one. It really gets my goat. Especially considering is it an altered form of what was originally an Indonesian dish. It’s such an integral part pf Sri Lankan food history and culture.
Beryl, the next time you visit India, YOU ARE COMING TO SRI LANKA! Bring everyone! There’s so much more than dhal pol sambol to our curries. It’s essentially the centre of Asian cuisine. We have the best of South East Asia, south India, Arabia and East Asia all in one cuisine 🤩
Edit: the watalappam was not good 😅 my grandma will make you some when yall come down here
My mom used to make watlappan for me that were even fluffy and prettier than this, and once frozen, it turned out to be super cool and delicious and a refreshing dessert. You will never imagine that, bro
Edit: you are right. More Sri Lankan foods than lentils, coconut sumbols and watlappan have survived here. If you are traveling around this island, you can experience culinary delights specific to the respective provinces.😉🫶
Absolutely! Our diverse ethnicity and cuisine create a beautiful blend, and it's the harmony that makes it wholesome. My Indonesian friend was genuinely surprised when I told her that Nasi Goreng is a staple in every street-side restaurant in Sri Lanka 😄
Indian food is mostly about tons of oil & same masala powder for veggies & meat. I've been living with Indians for 12 years so it's their cuisine. The amount of oil they use for 1 dish, we can cook for 2,3 days in sri lanka😂 super unhealthy & toilet friendly food in India😂
Very similar to Kerala/TN food in many ways but still very unique and different. For the same reason, I think South Indians will love Sri Lankan food more than North Indians would.
@@dileepa666 FYI, it's unfair to generalise Indian cuisine as oil or unhealthy because there are 28 Sri Lankas in one India. Each Indian state has its unique culture(s) and different cuisines. I don't know which Indians you've been living with but there are hundreds of different cuisines in India, a lot of which are super healthy and delicious. South Indians and North East Indians in particular use very little oil. Also, your entire cuisine is inspired by Indian food, so don't talk about our cuisine disparagingly.
One of my best friends in college was from Columbo and it's not just that restaurant, Sri Lankan food is some of the hottest in the world.
How exciting! I know nothing at all about Sri Lankan food, so this is all new to me. And now I know that if I ever have the opportunity to try it, I will need to brace myself for the spice!
⭕Guys if you wanna try sri lankan food in USA these are the best places to go...
👉🏽In New york city
1)Lakruwana restaurant(in Wu-Tang
clan)
2)Sagara restaurant (victory
boulevard in staten island)
3)Bay restaurant
👉🏽In Los Angeles
1)Ape Kade (in Tarzana)
2)kurry pinch (in Van Nuys)
👉🏽In Texas
1)Spicy Zest (in Dallas) most famous one🔥
Make a video about Uzbek cuisine, YOU JUST HAVE TO LEARN AND TRY Uzbek cuisine and traditional dishes!
Who agrees with this, LIKE IT as much as possible so that Beryl sees this request!!!
ooooo I love this idea
@@BerylShereshewsky Undoubtedly this is a very good idea! Because there are so many different dishes in Uzbek cuisine, it is not only useful to learn but also interesting!
@@BerylShereshewsky The most popular dishes and desserts in Uzbekistan are: Uzbek pilaf real name is Оsh, Salad Achiq chuchuk (eating with Osh), Somsa, Uzbek Kabob, (Lagman definitely try it!), Norin, Chuchvara soup, Manti, Uzbek Dimlama, Shurpa soup, Mastava, Hanum, Obi Non-traditional Uzbek bread, Kazan Kabob, Kucha oshi. desserts:(Kokand halva definitely try it!), Sumalak, Nisholda,......Ohhh and that's not all! Of course, it is best to eat dishes from a master of this nationality, but Each dish has its own rich, incomparable taste and you simply cannot miss such a rich variety dishes of Uzbek cuisine!
Great idea! I went to Uzbekistan in 2011. Fascinating country! And the food was delicious! 😋
I'm Sri Lanka and I'm so proud about that ❤ thank you so much
You made my day Beryl!!! Watching these food took me back to Sri Lanka. I am so sorry that our food was spicy. We cry through our meals too but we like the punch. You can try more dishes. You will get used to the punch. Love from Sydney! ❤
almost 20 years back, a couple of Srilankan college students visited my home in Pune where my Bengali (east) mom prepared some traditional fish and meat dishes for them. The girls raved about how the chana daal, dry fish and fish curry reminded them of home. My kid brain did not comprehend why Srilankan food would have anything in common with Bengali food. 20 years and a few history/geography lessons later, I know better. the dhal and dry fish definitely look like what would be served in my Indian Bengali household
Can you explain the geography? In so confused
@@21972012145525 main ethnic group of Sri Lanka(Sinhalees) originate from Odisha/Bengali 2500 years a go(where her/his mom from) .
@@21972012145525 basically native sri lankans migrated from now bengal (before i found out about this i thought they were closer to south indians)
Yes because we are ancestrally linked. Thats why.
@@21972012145525 yeah in olden times SL used to be ruled for some period by bengal ans tamil kings so there have been a lot of cultural transfer
Recently visited Sri Lanka and found the food to be a combination of South Indian food ( esp Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and Malaysian food . I was pleasantly surprised how spicy the food is but at the same time it is flavorful and unique. Definitely recommend trying out srilankan cuisine
Malaysian cuisine is also Indian-inspired. 😊
@gethulked101, not entirely Indian inspired. Also Chinese but mostly local Malay cuisine - which is what their influence on Sri Lankan food is.
A really great selection.
Pol Sambal, the coconut condiment, is one of the geniuses of Sri Lankan food. It's very simple; typically coconut meat, dried red chilies, salt and lime juice. Sometimes finely chopped dried Maldive Fish is added. Texture is supremely important and it is stone ground to give it that specifically mealy texture. You can make it in a blender and the taste will be fine, but the mouth feel won't even come close; it becomes a paste.
String hoppers are often eaten at breakfast or dinner, as the rice flour is considered lighter than rice and more easily digested. Most traditionally it's eaten with Hodi/Sothi (Sinhala/Tamil names, my spelling might be off) which is a light, water, not very hot yellow coconut milk curry cooked with tomato pieces, finely sliced green chili (not a lot) and wedges of either potato or manioc. String hoppers are kinda time consuming to make, so many people buy then from neighborhood vendors, who also sell the Hodi/Sothi is small plastic sandwich-sized bags. That and a bit of dhal make a great post-drinking-absorb-the-alcohol late night food that won't feel like a stone in your stomach when you lie down to sleep.
Rice and curries are meant to be mixed with your hand to combine the red spicy dishes with the lighter coconut milk based curries to balance the flavours. I hope you try srilankan food again. 😊
I am from coastal Karnataka, a southern Indian state and it is amazing to see that we have so many dishes and cooking techniques common with Sri Lanka! Wonder how that happened and what kind of exchange of culinary knowledge happened 100’s and 1000’s of years ago.
Sri Lankan food is very varied with lots of influences, Sinhalese/ Southern food is similar to Kerala cuisine, Tamil/ Northern food is very much like what you get in Tamil Nadu, Then you get Malay or Javanese influence in food like Nasi Goreng and Wattalappam, Moorish/ Muslim food like Biriyani and of cause Dutch Burgher influence in Lamprais, Love cake etc.. Its a melting pot of cultures
Because it is not different types of food. All same type of food but, just the different is the way of cooking may be. ❤
@@jayf4005 interesting. Coastal Karnataka and Kerala share similar cuisine. If Sinhalese food has some Kerala influence that could explain why I am seeing similarities with my cuisine such as meals wrapped and steamed in banana leaves, string hoppers etc
Because we have linked with most indian.
@@chalinduwickramaarachchi6877last King of Sri Lanka is Tamil with South Indian background. Only knew how to sign in Tamil only.
I am extremely grateful for the fact that you choose to show the very underrated yet delicious cousin of my home country Sri Lanka to the world. As a Sri Lankan living abroad this selection of food makes me miss home a lot. Everyone should definitely check these food out. 😊
Yayyyyy. Your showcased our culture! The list of dishes is hugeeee and healthy!
Wow, Beryl, you really key me in to exotic foods I know I will like. Sri Lanka... on my menu, on my must-do list, already at the restaurant down around Seattle for my first experience.
Loved this episode and LOVE Srilankan food. This episode made me so hungry and longing for my travels in Srilanka. Beryl, its time for you to do a East India epsiode (West Bengal, Odisha, Assam). The food is so distinct and different from the kind of Indian cuisine you have featured on your channel thus far, and we deserve some representation!!! 😋
seconded
10:48 born to parents from Kerala and tamilnadu , we love appam in our house and mutta appam(egg appam) is our favourite. My mother would make a kerala chicken stew(portugese inspired) and we would also have coconut milk with some brown sugar.. it is definitely a match made in heaven..
appam is south indian food(kerala and tamilnadu) . it wont be called srilankan food just coz srilankan tamils make it @@ashelythas7017
@@ashelythas7017In a divided world, with food we all aim to find a common ground. 😀
They all look SO GOOD!! I got hungry 😢 ..I am from India ...and I would SO LOVE to try Sri Lankan food someday🥺
You SHOULD try it. It's literally just an hour long flight away :P
@@mapledceylonese time is not the problem babe...money is 🙂 ..I am BROKE
@@vd8589 haha. I understand. Hopefully soon.
Nope. Only from Chennai/South India is it an hour, 2 from Mumbai, 3.5 from New Delhi. Further afield, 4 from Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok, 7 from Perth, 9 from London or Melbourne.
You missed the best dish "Kottu" .people who represent us forgot this course. Cause all of them are from Colombo. If you go further countryside in Sri lanka ,"Kottu"is the heaven meal for everyone.
Please please try in person
Thank you😊
Could you an episode covering Burmese food? I grew up eating Burmese dishes all the time with my family and I’d love to see a video in this series talking about it. It’s very much not as well known in the West as say Thai or Indian, but is so delicious!
What adds more color to your videos are how you present the program, and your facial expressions. 👍
We also Love the wooden spoon you use to eat 🙂
I had recently visited to srilanka, tried all these in the country itself. Loved almost all these dishes and srilanka
Also tried banana fritters with icecream😋
Did you try kottu though. One of the best dishes here in Sri Lanka
"Watalappam" is a unique dessert introduced to Ceylon during Dutch period by Ceylon Malays and originated from Indonesia. We Malays called this as "Sirkaya"
When you mix it from fingers and eat like a local only you can experience the real flavor. Red rice, Dahl and dry fish with coconut sambol is my favorite too, white rice with mallum polos and fried sprats is also very tasty.
I m hundred percent sure that the spice added there is way more less than here, we even add green chillie to make it way more spicyto eat our rice, which is the main dish.
I always look into your videos in the hope of having a review on our country's food. And you never disappoint with the reaction ❤. I am so happy that you share the taste we are having in our ordinary life, worldwide 🥹❤️ Keep it up Beryl❤❤❤ Love from Sri Lanka ❤🇱🇰
Your channel is the ONE that i rush to whenever you upload. Just so fun and the authentic!
Oooo I haven't explored much of Sri Lankan food before! So excited:)
I had the egg hopper nearly every morning when i was in Sri Lanka at the historic Galle Face hotel in Columbo.
It was an amazing two weeks. Just down the street from the hotel was a restaurant that had a massive all-you-can-eat buffet with dishes from all over the island representing the cultural diversity of the country.
As a sri lankan I am really honoured that the way you review the food. Its always great to see someone appreciating our country cuisine, cause its really underrated. Anyway thanks and may you receive blessings from our ancestors. Love from sri lanka! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I saw my country's celebrated and loved cuisine and I clicked so fast. So excited to delve into this video. 😍
You know, you can get pol sambol in jars. Find your local Sri Lankan grocer and they should sell many varieties of it. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions. Because pol sambol has dried fish flakes in it traditionally.
i really love the link to the website that summarised the recommended dishes to order. i can reference it easily next time i go to sri lankan restaurant! awesome series idea!
May be they forgot to mention Kottu! Originated in Sri Lanka and very popular among almost all the people in here. According to my knowledge, there are several Sri Lankan kottu places around the world so try it. You will love that!
Sri Lankan living abroad here. I am craving my mom's food now. Great episode with perfect recommendations.
being an Indian (from Kerala) it's wonderful to note similarities between Sri Lankan cuisine and Kerala cuisine :) which i didnt know before
There is a huge similarity on the 2 cultures.
Yesss! I'm a Sri Lankan Tamil and our food is similar indeed. It could be that our ancestors who migrated to Sri Lanka were from Kerala.
Yeah due to the proximity of India and Sri Lanka there are several indian influences in Sri Lankan culture even though they are separate countries.
It's a phenomenon witnessed in so many other areas of the world and is quite lovely to see.
Somehow if you taste kerala food or any indian food nothing tastes like ours. They use lot of oil and ghee. Also corriendar leaves etc. We rarely use them. Our flavors are different. But I would say our food got a similarity with Bengali food.
@@Thisisme918 oh, are you from Sri Lanka?
sri Lankan food is amazing! I wish there were more restaurants around my area. I remember being 12 and trying it for the first time in a little family restaurant my dad loved.
I remember that the chicken curry was the spiciest thing I'd ever eaten at the time but it was so good. Me and my little sister just sat there almost using it as a dipping sauce for the huge amount of hoppers we devoured.
Sadly missed some srilanka eastern foods in your menu hope to see next time you'll be include that foods.
Thank you so much 🇱🇰
YAYYYYY you tried Sri Lankan food!!! Sometimes the things you won't find in restaurants are our favourites tbh. For example, nice fresh bakery bread with tempered dhal! Roast bread with dhal or even coconut sambol is a national favourite! In my family, we also mix butter with kithul treacle to make a dipping sauce of sorts and eat bread with that. SOOO good!
Great video! Just for more information, Dhal in Sri Lanka is called Parrupu, Hoppers is called Appam, and String Hoppers is called Iddiyappam.
Usually we eat Idiyappam with Soddhi and Sambol.
I like string hopper with eggplant curry. Sri Lankan eggplant curry is delicious. But definitely spicy.
Ru is a fabulous singer.
As someone who has a coconut allergy I live vicariously through Beryl when she eats South East Asian foods. 😢
My Husband has a coconut allergy too.
It’s really annoying it’s never legally required on the allergy listings in UK restaurants.
We’d both love to travel further east (he’s been to Japan already, but I haven’t), but as many of those countries use a lot of coconut (same with the Caribbean) I’m having to do extensive research to see if we could risk going.
I heavily relate to this. I want to eat sambol and pittu so bad. I would love to go to Thailand but I think I would die especially since I have an allergy to not only coconut but shellfish as well.
Sri Lankans are South Asian.
It not any better in the US. I am lactose intolerant and coconut milk is usually a milk substitute so I always have to ask if I am getting something non dairy@@tinsley7850
I also thought Sri Lankan food is mild comparing to Indian cuisine until recently. Guess it's because we add black pepper along with red chillies so the spicy level increases.
We Sri Lankans give a huge importance to our food, we are kind of devoted to it. We freshly prepare three meals a day from scratch, which are usually different to one another. Food is a central part of our culture. We cook with love and our food binds people together.
Oo new filming location with diff games on the shelf! Rampage, Wavelength, Exploding Kittens, Sheriff of Nottingham, Agricola ..
You need to mix everything together when you eat rice and curries to get the real flavor 🤤❤️
Oh my God, Sri Lankan foods! I miss them a lot. I had a one month vacation in Sri Lanka, and the food was heavenly. I will visit Sri Lanka again, especially for the seafood. It's such an underrated country.
We use coconut milk so Sri Lankan vegi dishes are vegan. If you're a vegan you’ll be in food heaven with SL food! Yes they can be 🔥 especially takeaway food. I cook mild curry because my family can’t handle heat either. In SL curry with that deep brown/red colour is very much sought after so they use quite a bit of red chilli powder to achieve that colour. The trick is to use a milder chilli powder like sweet paprika. That way you get the colour without the heat! Kudos to you for trying them all despite the heat! Also two of the dishes that you must try are Kiri bath (milk rice) and Kottu (roti based dish) which are hands down classic SL favourites 😊
Here are some fun facts about the food you just had...
Lumprais : This dish was originally introduced to us by the Portuguese when Sri Lanka was colonized by them. The rice is cooked in bone broth and everything is deep fried and dry and wrapped in banana leaves because this was originally a sailor's meal. Today we have the modern version but is still amazing.
Red rice and dry fish fry : Fish is preserved in a salt rub in the sun for weeks until completely dehydrated. When cooking this, you need to be very careful with the amount of salt you put in other curries.
Hoppers: Introduced to Sri Lanka from South India, we made it our own by fermenting uncooked rice overnight and blending it instead of using wheat flour. Ideal hangover food for breakfast with katta sambol ( ground red chili, onion with preserved fish and a dash of lime and salt).
Black Pork curry is just magical, the reason the meat is so tender is because of the use of Tamarind in the cooking process,the best curry combo for that is Dhal and Coconut sambol
String Hoppers are infact South Indian too, Sri Lankan version has thinner strings and is the dough is made with rice flour, the best combo for string hoppers are dhal, pol sambol and red chicken curry.
Wattatlappan is a Muslim dessert the best to eat before watalappan is Sri Lankan version of Biriyani and is a pudding made with eggs, crushed cardamom pods and juggery.
Curd and treacle is ofcourse the most popular and common desserts.
The best part about Sri Lankan food is the variety and combination of flavours from different countries plus Vegetarian Sinhalese food is pure vegan. The best part is the curries not only fill your soul and tummy but the correct combination of Sinhalese rice and curry heals you from within as the curries are cooked not only to complement each other but also in a way balance heat and cooling properties so our bodies get balanced nutrients.
Hi, As a sri lanknan I would like to say thank you so much for your appreciation about our foods ♥️
@Beryl- the string hoppers ( in English) are known as idhiyappam and in Kerala, India we eat it with black gram curry with spice and grated coconut.
It is made of riceflour and with the help of that special noodle maker.
Thank you for taking Sri Lankan stuff to the world! As a Sri Lankan i think this country still has a lot more things to reveal to the world! The main barrier to that is these people always underestimate themselves and always make self conclusions after imaginary comparisons with other countries😅 But still Sri Lankan stuff are amazing!
I love your videos!! You take us on a great food journey every time, and you are so personable! I'm so jealous of your access to so many great cuisines in NYC. You're a lucky girl!
When u eating sri lankan rice and curry u have to mix it and eat that'll make it more tastier and it'll ease off the spicyness
I am a sri lankan. we usually don't eat hoppers with dhal curry... I mean I usually don't.... I have to try that too😁😁😁
You should definitely try pol roti with chicken curry, little butter on the side and dhal curry.. phenomenal!!!!!!
Hello from somalia keep going My sister
Out of all your episodes in this series, this one got me the most hungry. I need to find a Sri Lankan restaurant, stat.
Sri Lankan food is similar to Kerala food. The hoppers are called aappam and idiappam in Kerala and they are common breakfast foods
What if i tell you there are certain amount of sinhalese with kerala origin(specially in coastal areas)
Agreed there's a few differences in aappam, because the Sri Lankan one is thinner and crispier I feel and the the idiappam the ones from Kerala is bigger.
@@gayathra8458 same goes to kerla people as the ezhavas comunity from kerala got sinhala origins.. but this kind of foods are from lankan tamils not kerala..
Actually, the names are mostly similar in Sinhala language. Out of curiosity, do people from Kerala speak Tamil? These words seem similar to Tamil.
@@walkthewalk972 they speak malayalam, which different to Tamil but somewhat similar I think. I only speak Sinhalese but I have a few colleagues from Kerala.
As a Sri Lankan I can confirm that what she was eating was a Western, less spicy version of Sri Lankan food.Ngl,That hoppers in particular looks so sad! But I'm glad that you appreciate our culture!! Love your videos! ❤
I would LOVE it if you explored Basque cuisine. The best cheese I've ever had was this Franco-Basque sheep's milk cheese called _ossau iraty_ - smelled like a well-used gym locker, but the flavor was like the finest Parmesan had a menage a troi with brie and feta. It just blew me away. And if this people between 2 countries can do this with cheese, I'd be intensely interested to see what else their food has to offer.
Omg BARYL! I Was Randomly Researching Shri Lankan Food Last Night And BOOM I Stumble On Your Video. I'm Definitely Getting Some Now ❤️
I ordered roast duck curry spicy and normally it's fine for me. But one chef at the restaurant does it extra spicy and I feel you for the yogust. Had frozen cheescake [cherry] to cool down!
I'm so happy to see that you're admiring Sri Lankan cuisines. And the flavours may differ regionally. Explore more... Lots of ❤ from 🇱🇰 !
Thank you ❤from srilanka
Thank you! I have learned so much about different countries and different foods from your channel and its in a way that makes me wanna try it immediately. Especially the recipes. We don't really have the variety where i live that you have lol but it's super fun to see!
This is missing some very common favourites.
Kothu roti
Coconut + palm sugar hoppers
Kiribath or coconut rice
Pittu
Dhosai
Short eats
Sri Lankan briyani ( buriyani)
Rotis.
Just to name a few that are commonly seen on restaurant menus.
It's nice to see our food being appreciated.
And Thank you for the amazing review.
Love from Sri Lanka ❤❤❤❤
A friendly advice to all foreigners trying SL food, mixing doesnot mean some rice, some dhal, some fish and some coconut sambal, what it means is to use your fingers and mix it mix it, mix it mix it , mix everything together, if you had done that that red rice with cocunut sambal will be heavenly, best advice if you donot like dirtying your hands, ask a SL granny to feed you 😋😋😋😋😋😉😉😉😉😉😉😉😉
The string hoppers and egg hoppers/plain hoppers are called 'idiyappam/ noolputtu' and 'vellappam'. Interestingly, instead of breaking an egg and baking it along with the hopper, we have it with egg or chicken curry. Potato stew or peas curry would be the veggie alternative. The string hoppers are smothered with lots of dessicated coconut to enhance your palate. Both the dishes are found in Kerala (as named here) and Tamil Nadu (I am guessing they are named differently, not sure).
I liked the watallappam, looks like a wholesome treat of sweetness. Thank you Beryl for introducing some awesome dishes from our neighbours down south. :)
Also found in Karnataka - it's called shavige here(though it's a little different from idiyappam - but it looks the same)
Interestingly at my home we do crack an egg in the appam while cooking and later crack some pepper.... It s definitely yum... From Kerala
Spice is Life. When you live in a hot country, eating spicy food helps your body to sweat thus keeping your body cool. No one mentioned to try the Hot Buttered Cuttlefish and the famous Janna Crab curry. Remember to mixed your food and not eat each one separately for full flavour
I was waiting for beryl to do an entire sri lankan food episode😊. As always it is so fun to watch your videos🤩 Thank you beryl for this amazing episode! Lots of love from sri lanka 😊❤
Love from Sri Lanka. I waited for this moment.
Hi Beryl! I'm Sri Lankan and i wanted to give advice for if you order again (also for anyone else who wants to too)
Usually we mix the curry and rice fully together, kind of like how the first dish is mixed, as i am someone with not as good a spice tolerance (because Sri Lankan food is always spice x.x) it helps to enjoy the flavors.
My favorite to mix with spicy curry is the dhal curry because it makes the curry creamy and less spicey and i usually mix a lot of dhal curry in.
Thats it for now!! Thank you for this amazing video!